Florida - Day 8

From Epcot Part II

It was the last day and we still had a bit of Epcot to see because it’s the only park in my mind that can take two full days. I was up bright and early cleaning up the room and packing while M slept in a little bit, but of course I made just enough noise to hopefully wake her up. :) With checkout done, we said goodbye to Caren at the front desk, and thanked her for letting us check in so early on the first morning.

We used our new move; parking at Downtown Disney and catching the bus to the park. Another $12 saved. We knew going in today that it was going to be a slow pace, because we were so exhausted from all the weeks’ adventures. So the plan was that I would grab a Fast Pass for Soarin’ and M would head to Test Track and get in line, which was executed to perfection, I might add ;-) With Fast Pass in hand, I high tailed it over to Test Track to meet up with M. The queue at Test Track is one of the most entertaining in all of Disney, if you’re a car enthusiast. You’re basically immersed in an automobile testing facility. After a brief movie, you go through a series of tests, such as bumpy roads, environmental and braking. But the highlight of the ride is the mock crash test where your car speeds toward a wall an at the last second opens up, flinging you out around the track at around 55 mph.

From Epcot Part II

We had some time before the Fast Pass would allow us to ride Soarin’, so we decided to head to the World Showcase. Mexico was first up. The Mexico pavilion is centered around a huge Mayan temple. You enter the temple and you’re immediately greeted by very colorful hand carved animals. The Mexican people believe that the wood contains the spirit of the animal, and by carving it and painting it, the spirit is released. As we went further into the building, it opens up to a large room encircled by shops. It’s all dimly lit with a huge night scene mural painted on the back wall and authentic music playing. There is also a small attraction here based on the Three Caballeros. It was a nice little boat ride, and at this point in the trip, any rest is good rest. After the boat ride, we bounced around from shop to shop and took lots of pictures…

From Epcot Part II

With the Fast Pass time approaching, we started walking over to Soarin’. Along the way, we saw a Segway training class being taught. As we got closer to the Soarin’ pavilion, the crowds really started to gather. This was the only crowded part of the park that we came across all day. When you enter any building on Disney property, you are greeted by a nice blast of cold air, and this is no different…. and much needed, considering it was about 80 degrees. True to the Fast Pass name, we were moved right to the front of the line with only about a 10 minute wait before we got to enjoy the ride.

There are many things to do and see on Disney property. When and if you come to see them, you have to make Soarin’ THE priority on your list. We were loaded into an open seat where our legs dangled and we just had a lap belt holding us in. When the ride starts, we were lifted more than 40 feet in the air, with a humongous circular movie screen, which fills up your entire field of vision in front of us, essentially making us part of the scene. The concept is that you’re hang gliding over California. Disney does an incredible job of incorporating the smell of each scene into the experience. We flew over an Evergreen forest and you could smell the pine scent. We flew over an orange grove and you could smell the oranges, and so on. M and I didn’t really know what we were in store for, but I can tell you we left that ride with the biggest smiles and all we kept saying was “that was amazing”.

After our Zen like experience on Soarin’, it was back to the World Showcase to complete our day. We decided to take the boat across the lagoon to Germany, where we left off Saturday night. After a relaxing boat ride around the lagoon, we were immediately hit with the smell of bratwurst and sauerkraut. I could imagine that the German pavilion had some of the most authentic shopping, food and buildings… but of course, I’ve never been to Germany. This pavilion wasn’t really M’s favorite, but when we come back, I think I’m going to try to talk her into eating there. Next up on the list was the Outpost, which is sort of a combination of artistry from many African countries. We stood and watched a wood carving artist as he created a Giraffe sculpture. It was also a good opportunity to take some pictures.

From Epcot Part II

From Epcot Part II

It was getting close to our lunchtime, and China was the next pavilion, so it was off to Nine Dragons. We very much enjoyed our meal here, and our server was wonderful. Again, it was nice to have a sit down meal in the middle of the day, and the restaurant had a great feel to it.

After lunch we browsed around the shops in China and couldn’t really get too excited about the products they sell, because we found them a bit too ornate for our tastes. They did have many beautiful Buddha statues, however, and incredibly detailed jade pieces. The clothing was also stunning.

From Epcot Part II

Norway was next. The pavilion houses an attraction called Maelstrom, which is a boat ride in a Viking ship that shows the history of the Viking and Norse people. The wait was a bit long, but it was a fun little ride. Too bad it wasn’t longer. I had been telling M how I wanted to stop at this one particular bakery and get a kringla, which was a large soft pretzel covered with icing and toasted almond slivers. It was delicious… not as sweet as you would think.

From Epcot Part II

Norway was last on our list, and completed not only our second day at Epcot, but our week at Disney. We had just one short detour to make back to Magic Kingdom to pick up something that M’s brother left behind the other day. We rode the monorail over from Epcot, and had to grab a connector at the TTC. When we got to the TTC, I asked one of the cast members if we could sit in the front car, which is a real treat. It was an incredible view as we approached the Magic Kingdom.

From Epcot Part II

Now totally finished for the day, it was time to head back to Downtown Disney and wave goodbye to an incredibly full and satisfying, long vacation. It was about 5:30 pm when we set out on the road, so we’ll probably stop at a hotel in order to make tomorrow’s drive more bearable.

We weren’t without bumps in the road this trip… but we stayed positive, paid close attention to each others’ needs, and approached each day with enthusiasm. We spent some quality time with each other and M’s family, we got some great photographs, had excellent weather and experienced our nation’s capital and the magic of Disney.

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Florida - Day 7

From Hollywood Studios

Today started with a trip to Downtown Disney to drop off the car and catch a bus over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We wish we had done this from the beginning, as it allowed us to see some of the resorts (you take the bus to a resort, then hop one to a park) and would have saved us $12 a day on parking. We arrived at DHS on a 78 degree January morning and were really excited to hit up two of the main attractions; The Tower of Terror and Rockin’ Roller Coaster.

From Hollywood Studios

We grabbed a Fast Pass for Rockin’ Roller Coaster and then ran over to Tower of Terror. I didn’t give any secrets away to M, because it was her first time riding and I wanted her to experience it for herself. Surprisingly, there was only a brief wait to get on. The queue snakes through an old dilapidated hotel and goes down into a grungy basement. This is one of my favorite queues, because it’s not only the sights but the smells and sounds that really make it magical. They’ve upgraded the ride in the last few years so that every single experience is different. M was clenched on to my arm so tightly that it felt like she was going to rip it out of the socket. Up and down we went, and of course, the screams followed. Once the ride ended, we thought we wanted to walk away. We got to the main street and M turned to me and asked me if I wanted to ride again. Of course I did.

From Hollywood Studios

After our second ride, it was time for Rockin’ Roller Coaster. This ride is great because it’s based around Aerosmith, complete with a semi-interactive video of the band set in a “recording studio”. This coaster is incredible. The entire ride is indoors. We rode in a super stretch Cadillac limousine that goes from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds. M and I made sure to practice our “rock hands” with our tongues out for the ride’s photo. The really cool thing about this ride is that it’s basically pitch black with just some black light effects and the coaster goes upside down in all sorts of twists and you never see it coming. Of course, like every other Disney ride, once it was over they dump you off into a store… and this one turned out to be a lot more fun than usual. We tried on crazy wigs, which turned us into instant rock and roll legends.

From Hollywood Studios

From Hollywood Studios

Next up was the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. We were lucky enough to sit in the front row, right next to the sound board and close to the action. This show is a behind the scenes look at how stunt work is done on a movie set. They go through three different famous scenes from the movie, starting with the “golden statue snatch”, which leads to the giant rock chasing Indy. It was really cool. The two scenes to follow were also classics from the movie, but I’ll save the secrets for your trip. On the way out of the stadium we waited for the crowd to disperse, and we were lucky enough to walk by a cast member holding the golden statue. I asked if I could take a picture of it, and he did me one better. He let M and I hold it, while he snapped a picture of us. That was incredible.

From Hollywood Studios

Star Tours was next… and being a huge Star Wars fan, I always love going to this attraction. They have an animatronic R2D2 and C3PO, which you can get pretty close to for pictures. The ride itself could use a little modernization, but it was still fun. The store here was something out of one my dreams. If I could have one of everything, I’d be a happy man.

From Hollywood Studios

From Hollywood Studios

Muppets 3-D is a cleverly orchestrated show, which includes not only the movie you see on screen, but animatronic muppets such as the two grumpy old men in the balcony and an animatronic penguin orchestra. Like most Disney shows, it employed all of your senses. I really enjoyed this one.

From Hollywood Studios

Lights, Motors, Action was up next. It’s a live action stunt spectacular performed twice a day to about 5000 people. The show is amazing… we saw stunt drivers performing incredible maneuvers. In cars, on motorcycles, and even on jet skis. This was our first time seeing this and it didn’t disappoint. Next time, we would get there earlier so we could get seats down in front at the end of the aisle. M had a very loud family behind her that drove her a little crazy.

Lunch was at 50’s Prime Time Café. It’s like stepping back in time to 1950s America and sitting down in your grandma’s kitchen. They even had the wooden fork and spoon on the wall… you know what I’m talking about…

From Hollywood Studios

The menu is based on comfort food you grew up on… like meatloaf, mac and cheese, tater tots, etc. I enjoyed a very unhealthy but delicious meatloaf, and M enjoyed a very unhealthy but delicious malted milk shake. One of the cool things about this restaurant is that the servers all act as if you’re family members. We happened to be served by our “cousin” JL, and they talk to you as if you are related. They even tell you to get your elbows off the table. Great place.

We attempted to visit the Toy Story Mania ride, but since it’s new, everyone else was there. There were no longer Fast Passes available for the day, and the standby line was 2 ½ hours. There was no way either of us could take that. So we headed next door to Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. It’s just what it sounds like… a walk-through attraction, followed by a brief movie. The walk-through portion includes historic artifacts of Walt Disney himself, such as his complete office and props from some of the early live action movies. We learned that the idea of Walt Disney World came from his desire to have something fun to do with his two daughters. He dreamt of an entertainment complex… not just for children, but for adults as well. His life was very interesting and he was a special man.

The line at the Little Mermaid show was longer than we wanted to wait, so we headed to the Great Movie Ride and then Disney Animation before the light show began.

From Hollywood Studios

The Great Movie Ride is set inside a replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. It’s a journey through movie history. We stood in a really long line, but the payoff was pretty cool. Just like in Hollywood, this theater front had handprints and signatures of celebrities in the cement. Let me tell you something…. Tom Cruise’s feet are small.

From Hollywood Studios

The Magic of Disney Animation is a short interactive film, with a cast member and Mushu from Milan speaking to the audience. Mushu is voiced by Eddie Murphy, and of course it’s really funny. Unfortunately, the cast member’s microphone had a lot of static and took away from the experience and you could tell he was disappointed by that. Once the movie ended, we were let out into character areas that had interactive video games that M and I decided to play with. Remember, it’s all based on animation and bringing cartoons to life, so we got to sing and act a couple of lines from the Lion King. Good times.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s a sensory overload. They actually made it snow in Orlando!

From Hollywood Studios

Turns out there are about 45 hidden Mickeys, one hidden Minnie, and one black cat (which is actually pink). You might ask why there is a black cat in a Christmas scene. Well apparently the Osbornes packed it up with their million or so Christmas lights when they shipped them to Disney and they decided to keep it in the set. M and I have been on a quest from day one to find as many hidden Mickeys as we can, and this was the ultimate challenge. Before we decided to head out, we found 16 hidden Mickeys total. M found the hidden Minnie and I found the hidden black (pink) cat.

From Hollywood Studios

The first two days of overcrowded park torture were worth it to be able to be here for the holiday season to see this light show. Next time though, we wait until after New Year’s to start the park visits.

From Hollywood Studios

Disney does such an amazing job of producing night time closing shows that we were really disappointed to find out that Fantasmic wasn’t going to be performed tonight. M and I took an opportunity at the end of the night to stroll down Hollywood Boulevard and to absorb the ambiance of “Old Hollywood”. That’s code for “shop”.

While Disney’s Hollywood Studios may not have a huge amount of attractions, it’s quality, not quantity that matters here. Back to finish up Epcot tomorrow…

From Hollywood Studios

Florida - Day 6

B here…

We had to take care of some unfinished vehicle business first thing in the morning, so we didn’t get started till around 11am, but we still had a really good, full day at Epcot!

The first thing we noticed upon entering was that it wasn’t nearly as busy as the other two parks had been this week. Perhaps people had started to head home from vacation and the bowl games…whatever the reason, we appreciated it!

From Epcot

Getting into the park was a snap, and we immediately headed over to the Mission: Space and Test Track area to grab a Fast Pass for one of them. Turned out we were more excited about MS, so we grabbed the FP for it. Besides, the Test Track standby line was already 60 minutes long. To kill some time, we headed over to Ellen’s Universe of Energy, which turned out to be a really nice diversion and ate up a lot of our FP wait time.

From Epcot

Mission: Space was AWESOME! I won’t bore you with all the details; but I will tell you this one thing - I felt like I was blasting off into space. If you want to know more, check it out online… or better yet… GO!

In our travels, we came across Club Cool, which is a Coca-Cola sponsored soda tasting station, where you can sample different flavors of soda from around the world. M didn’t find it all that refreshing (it is soda, after all), but it was a nice place to cool off and it’s one of the few free things you get in the park.

After MS, it was over to The Land Pavilion to check out Living with the Land, which was a relaxing boat ride that showed us the importance of existing WITH the land, as opposed to just using it. Lunch followed, and then we were off to The Seas with Nemo and Friends, which I believe is the largest indoor tank in the world. We spent some time watching dolphins, manatees, sharks, and giant sea turtles- just to name a few. We made a quick stop over to Turtle Talk with Crush, which is an interactive kid’s movie, but it was very funny and we really enjoyed ourselves.

From Epcot

Spaceship Earth was next…. you know, The Ball. I’ve been driving M crazy all day telling her it’s a geodesic sphere. :) It was recently “re-imagined” and it turns out it’s better than ever. We were pleasantly surprised at the updated animatronics and thought that went into this attraction.

We grabbed a Fast Pass for Soarin’, which asked us to be back between 8pm and 9pm, and headed over to the World Showcase.

Not finding a lot to do in Canada and UK, we breezed through them and continued to France. Maybe next time we’ll pay a bit more attention to what those countries have to offer. We seized the moment to take a lot of photos of the French Pavilion, which is beautifully done, complete with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I had read about a bakery in France called Boulangerie Patisserie and apparently so did everyone else, because the line was out the door. Off to Morocco…

From Epcot

Stepping into Morocco really seemed to excite M, and I have to admit I felt the same way. This pavilion is filled with amazing shops… but it wasn’t just the merchandise that made this place special. The music and the way the place smelled really added to the experience. The clothing was beautiful… and of course we tried on hats…

From Epcot

From Epcot

The design of the pavilion really made me feel as if I were in Marrakech. The tile work is impressive with its many colors and patterns, and the fountains were gorgeous. Do not miss Morocco.

From Epcot

Having missed out on our opportunity at the bakery, our bellies were starting to get our attention and we decided to stop for dinner. Japan was the next Pavilion, and it turns out we had read about a restaurant there that we both were interested in, called Tokyo Dining. Immediately as we walked up the stairs, we were greeted by a hostess wearing traditional Japanese clothing who was eager to help us. We were told that the wait was going to be around 30 minutes. Turns out it was more like 15, which was really nice. We were lucky enough to be seated in front of the sushi bar, which was being operated by a cast of 4 female sushi chefs. We sat diagonally in front of one of the largest LCD TVs I’ve ever seen, which scrolled through scenes of different Japanese landmarks.

From Epcot

M and I have become smarter when it comes to sit down meals, and we usually share one entrée or order a few appetizers to share (or both). This plan of attack was perfect for Tokyo Dining. The food was very good, and we’ll definitely come back next time. Tip: Try the green tea pudding.

The shopping in the Japan pavilion has no rival. If we didn’t have to fork over a good portion of our cash to get the car fixed, we could have easily spent more here. Walking through the Japan Pavilion, I think M and I decided we want to hop a flight as soon as possible. Mom… can you watch Dave? :)

Considering the time, we made a decision to skip through the American Adventure, Germany, Norway, China and Mexico – and also to skip Soarin’ and Test Track. We thought we’d just do Italy and watch Illuminations and call it a night. We could come back Monday morning to finish what we missed.

M, being of Italian American descent, found the Italian Pavilion less than top notch. Maybe it’s because it was so late in the day, and the performers had finished, but she mentioned how she was disappointed with the shopping and lack of attractions. It was, however, a very beautiful pavilion – it is modeled after Venice, after all.

From Epcot

We ended the night sitting on the bridge in front of the Italian Pavilion, overlooking the lagoon. It had a fantastic view of Illuminations, which didn’t disappoint. In fact, once it ended, M and I were both a little choked up. After the show, we waited for the crowd to thin out and took a very leisurely stroll toward the front of the park, being sure to pay attention to all the little details of each nation’s pavilion.

From Epcot

Epcot truly is the gem of Walt Disney World, in my opinion. We’re very much looking forward to finishing our visit at Epcot on Monday. More tomorrow…

From Epcot

Florida - Day 5

From Magic Kingdom

The car wouldn’t start. That’s how we started the day. Eric, Nick and Vinny were supposed to meet us at the park at 8:30, but instead we ended up having them come to our hotel and pick up B and bring him to get a battery. Vinny was super excited and obviously anxious to get on the road, and really, we thought it was just the battery since we had been running a lot of electronics off of it (GPS, iPod, laptop). Nick, the former AAA tow driver, installed the battery… and guess what? Car still didn’t start. Must be the starter.

We decided to just head over to the park and deal with it later, since Vinny was so excited to go. Luckily, the guys had a really early start this morning and were already near us at 8am, so by the time we got officially on the road, it was about 9, and our hotel is about 10 minutes from the park, so still pretty good time. Obviously the car situation was in the back of our minds all day…

From Magic Kingdom

As we approached the park, we all started getting really pumped and I think it was rubbing off on Vinny. He was even excited to take the tram :) We started off by taking the ferry over to the Magic Kingdom after being dropped off at the Transportation and Ticket Center by the tram. It was a really cool way to approach the park, and we’ll definitely do it next time.

From Magic Kingdom

The first order of business was to get us all an early lunch. We did that at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, where we were treated to a piano show by Ray himself.

With full bellies, we headed over to the Golden Carousel so that Vinny could “ride the horse”, after which we walked across the road to the Mickey’s Philharmagic Show. It was a super cool 3D extravaganza, complete with smell-o-vision and other special effects.

B and I went over to grab Fast Passes for everyone for Splash Mountain while the guys tried to meet Winnie the Pooh. Turns out the line for Winnie was over an hour… much like every other line, we soon found out. We met up at Mickey’s ToonTown Fair, where we learned that Vinny desperately wanted to drive a go-cart at TomorrowLand Indy Speedway (I think his uncles kinda did, too ;-) ). So Auntie M and Uncle B took some pictures as they sped by!

From Magic Kingdom

After the speed racing, we headed over to Mickey’s ToonTown Fair, with hopes of riding the Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, but our dreams were quickly dashed when we realized the wait was easily 60 minutes, so we popped over to Donald’s boat and let Vinny run around. Turns out the boat sprays water at the kids, which of course, he loved :)

From Magic Kingdom

B and I tried popping into different buildings there, but realized that it was packed, so we hopped the Walt Disney Railroad over to FrontierLand, because our Fast Pass time was approaching for Splash Mountain. Eric and Nick walked the stroller over, so B and I had Vinny all to ourselves on the train :)

From Magic Kingdom

We met up at the FrontierLand Rail Station, where Nick was waiting with a Mickey ice cream for Vinny. After a brief wait, we walked right up to the front of the line at Splash Mountain, which is a flume-type ride set in the Briar Patch from the Disney movie “The Song of the South” (thank you, Fast Pass!). Turns out Vinny wasn’t the least bit scared. He loved every second of it, and wanted to go again immediately. Obviously that was out, unless we wanted to wait over an hour.

After Splash Mountain, we decided to see how long the wait was for Pirates of the Caribbean. As we headed over, we were abruptly stopped by the parade, where it seemed everyone was congregated. None of us could take the congested crowd, so we doubled back to Big Thunder Mountain in FrontierLand. It was – again – another 60 minute wait, but we decided to give this one a go, since it was 3:30 by now and the Fast Pass for this ride was due back at 7:15 and we knew Vinny wouldn’t last that long…..and oh yeah, we still had a dead car back at the hotel. Eric decided to sit this one out, so Nick, B, Vinny and I stood in line for an hour. Vinny was really good in line (spent a lot of time on Daddy's and Uncle B’s shoulders) and it turns out he LOVES roller coasters!

From Magic Kingdom

We decided to call it a day at this point and strolled leisurely toward the front of the park and even had time to do some shopping. We stopped in The Emporium, where Eric proceeded to buy everything in sight for Vinny, including a Mickey balloon the size of a small car. We jumped on the monorail, where Nick spoke to an attendant, and arranged for the three of them to ride in the front car. Vinny walked away with a co-pilot’s license ;-)

From Magic Kingdom

The guys were nice enough to bring us to the car rental place, where we picked up a Mazda 6 (which turns out to be a great little car), said our goodbyes to Nick and Eric (Vinny was passed out in the backseat) and headed to the hotel to meet up with the AAA driver.

As of now, our car is in the hands of our friendly neighborhood Toyota dealership, and we’re hoping it won’t cost too much to fix….

From Magic Kingdom

From Magic Kingdom

Florida - Day 4

From Rest Day

Today was a much needed and much appreciated slow down day. M and I slept in after a long night at Universal celebrating the New Year. Breakfast was on the agenda at around 12:30 and luckily there’s a restaurant just down the road from the hotel that serves it all day long. M, being the smart eater grabbed a fruit bowl and some biscuits and I gorged myself on one of their mega plates with all the fixin's. Off we went to De Leon to visit the family.

From Rest Day

It was a good day with M’s family. We visited with her Aunt Brenda before we went back to her Dad’s for some more R and R. The picture of the hibiscus was taken in Aunt Brenda’s yard, and the orange tree picture at the top of the blog was taken in Dad’s yard. We took an orange with us… and now we’re going to ask Dad to send us some on a regular basis because they’re delicious! M’s brother Nick entertained us with a decent little fireworks display while her Dad and I enjoyed a cigar. M’s other brother Eric was still feeling the effects of last night’s celebration and hit the bed early; too bad for him though because he missed out on a pretty good pizza.

We’re meeting up with Eric, Nick and Vinny at Magic Kingdom tomorrow so this is going to be a short post because I’m finishing up with some laundry, then I’m hitting the sack. I’m sure we’ll have a ton of stuff to talk about tomorrow.

Good night.

Florida - Day 3

From New Years Eve 2008

After a very early start (5am), we headed to Dad’s restaurant and I dropped B off for a morning of golf with Dad and his buddy, Jimmy. I said goodbye to the guys and headed to Dad’s house for a few hours of sleep.

From New Years Eve 2008

It was a lazy morning – Eric, Vinny and I all sleeping in and then just hanging out while I did some work and Eric showed us some pictures from Iraq. By that time, B came back from golf and we all headed to the restaurant for lunch. Dad made a nice veggie soup in anticipation of my arrival (thanks Dad :)) and it was delicious, as always. B had the hamburger steak smothered with onions and gravy with mashed potatoes, corn and cornbread. And now he can’t wait to go back. We may have every meal at the Big Rig while we’re here.

From New Years Eve 2008

We all headed back to the house, because Nick was done working for the day, and we gave Vinny his Christmas presents. He had a lot of fun opening them, and I think Nick is even looking forward to playing with everything :).

We had a long night ahead of us, because Eric got us all tickets to Universal CityWalk’s New Year’s Eve celebration, so B and I went over to the hotel to nap and get ready. Nick and Eric checked into their hotel in Orlando, as well.

B here: We headed off to Universal for the big celebration. As we got closer to the park it became apparent that everyone else in the country decided to go there as well because we sat in traffic for a good 30 minutes just to get through the gate. With the parking situation taken care, of M and I made our way through the sea of people to City Walk. If you’ve never been, please take my advice and make it a point to go once in your life. It’s an assault on the senses and there’s never a dull moment. I am already looking forward to getting back here so we can spend more time at City Walk and Universal Studios.

From New Years Eve 2008

M and I arrived at the final destination; the New Year’s Eve Party. As soon as we walked in, we came across a table that looked to have the first buffet of the evening. Imagine our surprise as the attendant told us the table was closed... but it wasn’t just that… she said it was closed, she jumped at us with her arms spread as if she was playing defense for the Celtics. We continued on down the way and finally started finding food, which was pretty good. The highlight of the evening as far as food is concerned was the shrimp cocktail which was mounded in huge piles around an ice sculpture. Nick became the king of shrimp and proceeded to supply everyone with a fair amount of the sea bug.

From New Years Eve 2008

As you can imagine, it was non-stop dancing, laughing, picture taking and for everyone else, drinking. As the night progressed Eric mentioned to me that he didn’t care who it was but he was going to be making out with a girl at midnight. Apparently wishes do come true because wouldn’t you know it, he was! The lucky lady at this point remains nameless because M and I haven’t talked to him yet today, but M said she seemed nice. Nick also found a lucky lady to smooch. Turns out she was roughly 50 years older than him. Look out Demi and Ashton!

M was really happy to spend the night with her brothers. With everyone living so far apart, it's not often that they're all together at the same time.

From New Years Eve 2008

Eric’s friends Brad and Lori joined us for the evening and they couldn’t have been any cooler. M had a feeling that we would hit it off, and we certainly did. They are a nice couple and have been good friends to Eric, so M was looking forward to meeting them.

From New Years Eve 2008

As midnight approached, we started to make our way down to the stage area to count down to midnight because that’s where the best view of the fireworks would be. The crowd in that area started to get noisy and excited and we all joined in for the countdown. We counted down the final ten seconds, and as the last second approached, M and I shared a romantic kiss to ring in the New Year.

Once the zero hour came and went, the crowd started moving to the different clubs. Our group headed to The Groove to dance the night away, while M and I said our goodnights and headed to The Latin Quarter for a little salsa dancing. Seriously, I dare you not to dance while Latin music is playing.

New Year’s Eve 2009 turned out to be incredible and we’re looking forward to an adventurous and prosperous New Year. We wish all our loved ones the same. Happy New Year!

From New Years Eve 2008

Listening to: "Low Rider" by War